Rainy Days

Yesterday I changed my computer desktop to this picture, taken as I lay on Clearwater Beach, FL back in April:

I just needed some sunshine in my life. It has rained every day since Saturday, and is supposed to continue through the end of the week. I have discovered that I am a person whose mood is greatly influenced by the weather, so I am jonesing for some sunshine in my life right now.

As an added tortuous twist, today I have to venture out into the soggy city to take Achilles to the vet, a task that is unpleasant even on the most pleasant of days. I really like his vet, so I am taking him back into the city to stay with the same doctor, which means we have quite a commute ahead of us - a ferry ride and several miles of walking. If this rain keeps up, it looks like Achilles will be going for a cab ride today!

On the positive side (see how that sunshiney beach picture is already helping my outlook?), this nasty weather has forced me to stay inside and actually do some much-needed cleaning and organizing around the apartment. Maybe one of these days, I'll actually take some pictures and show off our "new" apartment to you! I guess it's not really new anymore since we've already been here for three months, but whatever. I'm always slow with new apartment pictures.

Now I'm off to track down Achilles' rain coat, because the only thing that could make matters worse when he freaks out at the vet and tries to CLIMB ME to escape is if he is soaking wet when it happens.

This is a very old picture (you can tell because his face isn't gray yet), but this is Achilles ready for rain.

Rain, rain, go away!

#26: Hug Tim Tebow

You all know that I am on a mission to cross items off my bucket list. You've seen me take care of a few already: scuba diving, horseback riding on the beach, jumping into a pool fully clothed. But this weekend, I crossed off one of the ones that I really felt was improbable, and it was quite possibly my favorite list item completed yet: I HUGGED TIM TEBOW. And it was magical.

In case you don't know who Tim Tebow is, here is a synopsis: He is currently a quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He formerly was an absolute star as quarterback for the University of Florida Gators, and is considered by many (not just Gator fans) to be the best college football player of all time. He was the first college sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. He is also a devout Christian who spent spring breaks with orphaned children in the Philippines and strives to use his platform as an athlete to witness about his faith (for example, after the National Championship game, the Bible verse he wrote on his eye black was the top search on Google). And I adore him.

AND I HUGGED HIM. I nearly died.

I felt like adding "Hug Tim Tebow" to my bucket list was a little foolish. Of course I would jump at the chance to do so if ever given the opportunity, but what were the odds of that, really? I don't like to add things to lists that could never be completed. But then, about two weeks ago, Eric and I caught sight of this:

Look what's happening! Tim Tebow! Exclamation point!

That's right, my beloved Tim Tebow was going to be making an appearance as the new Jockey spokesperson at Macy's. And when I looked at that flyer a little more closely, this beautiful item caught my attention:

GET YOUR PHOTO TAKEN WITH TIM. I was so there. I wrote this on my calendar IMMEDIATELY and emailed Eric to do the same. Saturday, May 14th. One o' clock. Write that down.

Friday night, also known as "Tim Tebow Photo Day Eve," even the Empire State Building seemed to be getting excited:

Okay, okay, so the ESB claims it was sporting Gator colors for Bronx Week or some such thing, but I know it was really in honor of Tim Tebow. They can't fool me!

Saturday was the big day. With pictures scheduled to happen at 1:00, we decided to take no chances and were in the photo line by 11:00, two hours early. No, we were not the first ones there. New Yorkers are crazy, man. They love standing in line for things. After just a few minutes, Jockey staff came around and handed out numbers. We were numbers 63 and 64 in line, so that tells you how many people were earlier than us. We were told that these numbers guaranteed us a photo with Tim, though, so this quickly became my most prized possession.

Bad Blackberry photo of the most beautiful number there ever was

The real beauty of those numbers was that once we had them clenched in our sweaty little hands, we were able to leave the line at will but were guaranteed a photo if we were back in line at 1:00. We would sacrifice our spot in the line, but so long as we had number in hand, we would get our photos. Nice! We had been expecting a two-hour camp-out on the floor of Macy's and had even brought books to read, but in a pleasant twist we were able to go out to Herald Square to enjoy the rest of the Jockey festivities.

We were able to get a great spot for the Jockey Fashion Show that took place at noon. That was where we caught our first glimpse of my beloved Timmy, as he arrived to introduce the line and hang out with announcers in the booth. (I'm sure you're as bummed as I was that he was not actually participating in the Jockey fashion show, aren't you?)

TIM!

He was very pleased to see the Gator Nation turnout in the crowd! There is a huge Gator alumni group in NYC.

He's totally looking at me.

The fashion show was fun, because well, watching models walk around in their underwear is fun. Tim was also fun to watch - he kept looking out at the crowd (I swear he kept looking at me), and he would crack jokes here and there. He's cute and funny!

The male models showing off Jockey underwear of days gone by

Apparently back in the day Jockey did an ad campaign featuring the "cellophane wedding," which was a creative way to show off their undies while still meeting the standards of decency at the time.

As the cellophane wedding models passed, Tim said, "yes, in case you all are wondering, that is the wedding dress I would like my future wife to wear!" Oh, Timmy. I'm sure there are plenty of girls willing to accommodate that request.

Models showing off the new Stay Cool line

New colors in the new line

Grand finale

After the fashion show, they let some little kids out onto the "field" to throw a football around a bit. I loved this little guy:

So cute.

After the little ones had their shot, they let the big kids take a turn. Eric got to go out and toss a football around, and in doing so he won a free pack of Jockey Stay Cool shirts. Way to go, Eric!

Flashback to high school football days!

Eric ready to throw, with Tebow in the crowd behind him

As soon as Eric was done throwing, we made our way back into Macy's and downstairs to the photo line. We were a little further back than we had been previously, but we passed the time talking with our fellow line-mates. It's always fun to talk to other Gators - it's just a fun bond to share. We talked about our college days, dorms we lived in, Gainesville places we frequented during our college years and our lives as Gators now.

Lousy picture, but this was our spot in line. The line wrapped all around the corner for quite a bit.

Once the pictures got started the line moved pretty quickly, and before we knew it we had rounded the corner and could see Tim on a platform ahead of us, posing for pictures. I'm not going to lie, I nearly started to hyperventilate. You know we love a good celebrity sighting, but really, it's for sport. It's fun to see famous people, sure, but Tim Tebow is the one who I have really wanted to meet. He was the only one who made my bucket list, and if I could choose one celebrity to meet, it would have been him.

And it was on my bucket list not just to meet him, not to shake his hand, but to hug him. I knew that I would only have a few seconds with him when my turn came, and I was going to have to ask for a hug. I was so nervous, but as I always say, don't put anything on your bucket list that you're not actually prepared to do when presented with the opportunity. I had to get that hug!

When we finally reached the front of the line, Macy's staff took all our stuff (purses, cameras, etc.) from us - they were very strict that they would be the only ones taking pictures. Eric went up first and shook Tim's hand, something that was also on his bucket list! What a successful bucket list day! Eric spent quite a few moments talking to Tim. He said he told him that he is a great player, and thanked him for playing so hard for the Gators, and also told him he is a great witness and an inspiration. Tim maintained eye contact with him the whole time, smiling and thanking him. So nice! Then they took their picture:

There is an awful lot of hotness happening in this picture.

And then it was my turn. I got up on that platform and said, "Hi, I'm Meghan! May I please give you a hug?" His answer: "Of course!" AND THEN HE HUGGED ME. He's very tall, and I had to stand on my toes to reach up and put my arms around his neck, but that man gives one heck of a good hug. Then we took our picture:

I was dying.

I think I then mumbled something about "I think you're awesome" and "thank you so much," and just like that, it was over. I got my hug, but after that I felt like a starstruck mumbling fool. Of course, it's not the first time I have been a fool on account of being awestruck by Tim Tebow - as you may recall, we did a little Tebow-stalking both years he was in NYC for the Heisman ceremony. The first year, I was so excited about his impending arrival that I dropped and broke our camera just before he arrived. The second year, I chased him down the street and called out his name, and when he actually looked at me (eye contact!) I got so twitterpated I forgot to watch were I was going and walked into a parked car. So clearly, Tim is used to my dorky behavior. At least this time, I got a hug out of it!

When it was all over my adrenaline was still pumping. I was shaking and giddy and feeling like I might cry. I was a mess. But dude, I JUST HUGGED TIM TEBOW.

I was beside myself.

My behavior was under control while I was meeting him, but afterwards, I guess I got a little out of hand.

The Jockey events continued through the afternoon, with the fashion show repeated several times. Apparently after later fashion shows, Tebow went around to the fans and even signed some autographs, so I was kicking myself for not bringing our Gators helmet to have him sign. But whatever, I HUGGED HIM.

Crowds clamoring for Tebow's autograph

What a fabulous day it was! It's great to be a Florida Gator!

"Fish Meat Is Practically a Vegetable."

A quick housekeeping note: Blogger has apparently been suffering some sort of life crisis and, after being out of commission for quite some time, has eaten my Jimmy Fallon post from yesterday. Rude! They say all missing posts will be restored soon, so I assume it's not lost in the black hole of the internet forever. But, just in case any of you commented (thanks!) and then got offended because I deleted the post and your lovely comments, don't be mad! It was all Blogger's fault!

But anyway. Back to fun.

Yesterday, Eric and I had the pleasure of meeting Nick Offerman, better known as "Ron Swanson" from NBC's Parks and Recreation, at the NBC Store in Rockefeller Center. If you are not watching Parks and Recreation, you are a crazy person. It's good stuff, people. Amy Poehler is wonderful, of course, but the rest of the cast is awesome, too. (Aziz Ansari, who moderated the Q&A with The Lonely Island on Monday, is also on that show, and he's great!) Nick Offerman plays one of our most favorite characters: a real red-meat-loving Man's Man with an epic 'stache to back it up. Here's a brief look at the goodness that is Ron Swanson:

VIDEO: Ron Swanson's Pyramid of Greatness

So, when we heard Nick Offerman would be at the NBC Store signing autographs, we got ourselves in line. We were able to each meet him, get an autographed photo and talk to him for a few minutes. He was definitely one of the nicest celebrities we've met - very much like his TV persona in that he seems no-nonsense and stone-faced, but very friendly and funny. Eric met him first. He told him we love the show and think Ron Swanson is one of the greatest characters on TV, and Nick thanked him for watching. Eric, in turn, thanked him for the laughs. Banter! He then got him to sign a picture for us, making sure he spelled my name correctly, of course. That pesky "H" always gives people trouble! (And considering that Nick is married to Megan Mullally, a "Megan sans H" if you will, we needed to be on top of it.)

Eric getting ready as we waited in line outside the store

That's a manly handshake.

It was my turn then, and I introduced myself as Meghan. He said, "Oh, of Eric and Meghan! M-E-G-H-A-N!" Ha! I got a picture signed for a friend, told him how much we love the show, and what a pleasure it was to meet him. He was very friendly and such a good sport about the whole thing.

Autograph, please!

Me with Nick Offerman. Good times.

It's just so nice to meet celebrities who are kind and gracious. When they're not, it can really sour you on them as a whole. For example: Reggie Jackson was the rudest we've met, and now every time I hear his name, I just think, "uggghhh." His name has a very negative connotation to me now. Of course I don't expect celebrities to always be super friendly and accommodating if you just see them on the street, but when making appearances at events (as Reggie was), why not be a little bit nice to your fans who came out to see you? When a celebrity is kind, the whole experience is so fun and it just makes you like them (and their work) that much more. So way to go, Nick Offerman! (Another that stands out as particularly nice was David Zayas, a/k/a "Angel Batista" on Dexter.)

So, we left the NBC Store yesterday with a positive experience, a few fun photos and this autographed gem:

My scanner screwed up the colors, but check out that moustache.

In case you can't read it, he wrote: "Eric & Meghan, Lovemaking is where it's at. Nick Offerman."

That's good stuff.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Tuesday afternoon we continued what is quickly becoming our tour of television show tapings around NYC. We've already checked off the Late Show with David Letterman, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and next on our list was Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Tickets to all these shows are free, it's just a matter of picking a date and putting in a request. When you live in a place where you can do these things whenever you want, it's easy to put them off and then you end up never doing them at all, so we make plans to make them happen. NYC To-Do List to the rescue!

We were instructed to meet at the cafe on the second floor of the NBC Store in Rockefeller Center by 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Eric and I met up around 4:00, got checked in and then spent some time people watching from the second floor.

NBC Studios at 30 Rock, home of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

View of the Plaza from the second floor of the NBC Store

At 4:15 they got us lined up (in a rather roundabout way), and then it was time to stand in line for 45 minutes or so. These shows always involve a lot of waiting around, but this one wasn't too bad. Colbert Report is by far the worst for standing around. And Jimmy Fallon is nice because they let you check in early (so long as your whole party is present) and then they give you a numbered ticket, and that's how the line order is established. That means that rather than standing in line for hours before your scheduled arrival time to get a good spot, you can just show up, check in, then go do what you gotta do until arrival time. Very convenient.

After the obligatory waiting around, they took us through security, then up to the studio. We didn't know about the "show up early then go about your day" trick, and we got there pretty late, so we were waaaaay in the back top corner, in the row right in front of the band benches. (We learned during our NBC Studios Tour that the band benches are where they seat the portion of the audience that they bring down onto the stage during the musical numbers. The benches then fold down once the people are on stage, so any shots of the full audience don't reveal empty seats. Tricks of the trade!)

The warm-up guy came out and did some chatting with the audience to get us laughing, then he introduced The Roots, who took the stage with the tuba in the lead. They played for a while and were, of course, awesome. Then we were ready for the show!

Jimmy came out and the crowd went wild. He did his monologue, and the audience dutifully lost their minds with laughter when appropriate.

Jimmy Fallon!

(photo source)

The guests for Tuesday night's show were actress Keira Knightley, tennis star John McEnroe and musician Chris Cornell. Keira spoke about dancing Scottish dances at her brother's recent wedding (and being a bad bridesmaid), and promoted her movie Last Night. Jimmy and John McEnroe talked for a bit before getting into a quite lengthy beer pong battle, which John McEnroe eventually won. Chris Cornell performed a beautiful cover of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" for Bob Marley week (see video here). All in all, a great show.

Jimmy interviewing Keira Knightley

(photo source)

Beer pong defeat!

(photo source)

At the end of the show Jimmy came around and high-fived the audience, and then it was over. Good times!

Outside 30 Rock after the show

We then spent some time admiring the statues in front of Christie's right across the street.

Sculptures in front of Christie's

On our way home, we stopped at Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake, because we have developed a serious (and borderline alarming) cupcake addiction. As you know, Magnolia is Eric's favorite cupcake bakery, and his position was reinforced by "Black Thought" of The Roots (the lead singer), who was in front of us in line. I guess if the bakery is good enough for The Roots, it's good enough for us.

We did watch Tuesday night's show, but you are spared from pictures of my TV showing us ON TV because of our way-up-in-the-back-corner seats. No great shots of us in the audience this time! It's always fun to watch these shows on TV after watching them tape live, though, to see what jokes get cut and what make it. We definitely had a great time at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and are already making plans to go back. Next time, we'll try for band bench seats!

Turtleneck & Chain

Last night we went to a Q&A session with The Lonely Island (moderated by comedian Aziz Ansari) at the SoHo Apple Store. I have sung The Lonely Island's praises before on this blog, when I told you about dancing to "I'm On A Boat" at Ryan and Amanda's wedding, and the epic live performance of "I Just Had Sex" at the Comedy Awards. This weekend their latest hit, "Jack Sparrow" (featuring Michael Bolton), went viral online after airing on SNL. Last night at midnight, The Lonely Island's second album, "Turtleneck and Chain" was released, so they were doing a Q&A session to promote their new album.

First, a tangent: I went into the city a little early last night and spent some time wandering around Washington Square Park (pictured at right) and the Village. I'm usually somewhat intimidated by the Village, because the streets run every which way and are named instead of numbered. What am I supposed to do with that? But it really is charming down there, and I had a wonderful time exploring. I sat in Washington Square Park for a bit, listening to a street performer playing the saxophone and people-watching (I saw a guy with pigeons on his head and shoulders!), checked out a couple of cupcake shops (and bought cupcakes from Sweet Revenge, which were quite tasty), and just enjoyed the atmosphere. I had one of those "is this really my life?" moments - I remember when I first visited NYC in college, and I just became enamored with it and dreamed of living here. Then when I finally got here in 2008, I was so thrilled but so intimidated. I couldn't imagine ever feeling comfortable getting around here, especially by myself. And then last night, there I was, roaming through this incredible place on a gorgeous spring evening, and I was just like, "Wow. I'm really here." I love this city so much and am so lucky to be here.

But enough sappy stuff; now back to comedy. We got to the Apple store an hour early, and the place was already pretty filled up. We found a good spot to stand in the back behind short people, which is a lovely advantage of being fairly tall - even if you're not early enough to be in front, just find some short people to stand behind.

Crowds gathered for The Lonely Island

Hanging out in the Apple Store

After an hour Aziz Ansari and the guys of The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) came out and took their seats. Aziz asked them some questions about their new album and their creative process, and the guys talked for a while. They laughed, they joked, all around it was a good time. They followed up their talk with questions from the audience, which included some requests for freestyle (somewhat obliged by Andy) and a super awkward question about the elderly simulating sexual activity in "Boombox", asked by the young kid next to me. Uhhh....? The question itself was okay, but his age (probably between 10 and 13 years old?) made my mind yell, "Too young! Inappropriate!!!" His mom was with him and seemed proud though (she literally gave him a pat on the back), so I guess it's okay. Maybe I'm just an old square. Other than that moment of discomfort, though, the whole thing was fun and quite entertaining.

The Lonely Island and Aziz Ansari sharing a laugh

(L to R: Jorma, Andy, Akiva & Aziz)

Fun times.

Paul Scheer made an appearance

Andy entertaining the masses

If you are a fan of The Lonely Island and wish you could have been at last night's Q&A, have no fear! They recorded the whole thing and it will be available for free in podcast form on iTunes. Search for "Meet the Filmmaker" (under Podcasts-->TV&Film-->iTunes Store) to find it. It's not up at this very moment, but I would expect it should be up later today. (And if they show the kid asking the awkward question, look for us! We're right next to him!)

This is what you want to find on iTunes.

Ahhh, just another fun night out in the city I love with the man I love!

Look at that handsome guy! I'm a lucky lady.

Hooligans in Wondaland

Last Wednesday night Eric and I went to see Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe in their "Hooligans in Wondaland" tour at the Roseland Ballroom (another NYC venue we've been meaning to scope out). It was a fabulous show and we had a great time!

Tour poster

Roseland Ballroom marquis

We got to the ballroom shortly after doors opened and joined the line, which stretched around the block. It moved quickly though, so we were inside the venue with plenty of time to wander around, check it all out and grab an overpriced drink from the bar.

Inside Roseland Ballroom

Ready for a fun night!

Pop Chips was there handing out free samples, and they had a photo booth set up for free pictures. You know I am all about a free souvenir photo, and this one did not disappoint.

Props! Good times! How cute is Eric, am I right?

We found ourselves a good spot to stand with a lovely column to lean up against, and then just waited for the fun to begin. First out were Plan B and Mayor Hawthorne, and they put on a good show. I loved the beatboxing...? Is that what it's called? I'm old, apparently, and don't know, but it was awesome.

Plan B & Mayor Hawthorne

After the opening act there was a brief break as they set up the stage for Janelle Monáe, who gave a great performance. It was so high energy, you just couldn't help but feel excited and the need to dance. Although I loved the upbeat set, my favorite number of hers was the quiet and beautiful cover of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile." The rest of the time, she was dancing all over the stage and it was just so lively and fun. I also loved the part in which they brought out a canvas for her, and as she sang she painted what appeared to be a woman's backside with the words "Love" and "Freedom" above and below it. The whole set was a lot of fun and I honestly don't know how she can perform with such intensity and not be completely winded - even with all her wild dancing, her voice stayed strong.

Janelle Monáe on stage

Singing with her finished painting behind her

Belt it, girl!

Standing before her fans at the end of the set

After Janelle's performance, they once again broke down the stage in preparation for Bruno Mars's set. As soon as he came out, the crowd went WILD.

Bruno Mars on screen, with fans' cameras at the ready

Everyone wants a picture!

Long story short, he was amazing. He played all his hits (as well as a few covers), and all my favorites from his album. He was entertaining and oh-so-good. He played to the crowd and really seemed to be enjoying every second of it. Every now and then he would stop and just look out at the audience and get this look on his face like, "WOW." He seemed very humbled and it was so sweet to watch. His voice is amazing and his hour-long set was so much fun.

Bruno Mars singing "Grenade"

Beautiful cover of "Please Say You Want Me" by The Schoolboys

"Just The Way You Are"

Smiling out at his fans

He closed the show with "Just The Way You Are," but after leaving the stage the fans roared on. He obliged with an encore: the opening of "Brooklyn," followed by a beautiful rendition of "Talking to the Moon."

"Talking to the Moon"

The end!

Eric and I really don't go to a lot of concerts, but we definitely enjoyed this one! What a great night out with my husband!

Having fun at the show

Want a little video taste of the show? Check out this video montage below:

VIDEO: Montage of "Hooligans in Wondaland"

(FYI, Plan B/Mayor Hawthorne start it off, Janelle Monáe comes in at 0:45, and Bruno Mars starts at 1:22)

If "Hooligans in Wondaland" is coming to a city near you (tour dates here), I highly recommend it!